Fine Gael Cork Senator Tim Lombard has said he is delighted to have been selected as a party candidate for the Cork South-West constituency at the next General Election.

Senator Lombard said: “I’m looking forward to continuing working hard for the constituency and campaigning in advance of the election, whenever that may be.

“Cork South-West is a large and increasingly diverse constituency affected by a wide range of issues.

“Traditional enterprises, such as farming, fishing, and tourism, are still very much a part of the fabric here in Cork South-West. Tourism in particular is an area where this area excels; with 470km of coastline on the Wild Atlantic Way, we have been a driving force attracting the record-breaking numbers of visitors to Ireland – 10.65 million in 2017.

“For this region to develop to its full capacity, I intend to continue campaigning for access to high-speed broadband, increased investment in roads infrastructure, and, crucially, more investment in water infrastructure.

“I am very much looking forward to the campaign; I intend to see Fine Gael regain a second seat in Cork South West, not only to improve Dáil representation for our region but also to ensure the continued stability that Fine Gael in Government has achieved for our local and national economy,” he said.

Senator Lombard is a member of the joint Oireachtas committees for Agriculture, Food & Marine, and Communications, Climate Action & the Environment, and was recently appointed by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to a special joint committee on Climate Action which has been tasked with decarbonising Ireland.

Of his appointment to the special committee, Senator Lombard said: “Climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing our generation, and our ability to adapt and mitigate against the adverse effects of this change will be the core objective of this committee.